my name is janet brown. to thee to welcome you first debate of the 2012 general election season. [applause] go, pioneers. [cheers and applause] we are very grateful to be here on this beautiful campus. we are grateful to the leadership of the university and the entire community and the city of denver and the state of colorado. my happy duty is to introduce some people that will thank a lot of organizations and individuals who have been working for two years to make tonight possible. there are many of them and their contribution is critical to what you will see on fold over the next hour and a half. i am going to start by introducing the co-chairman of the commission on presidential debates, frank, and mike mccurry. [applause] >> good afternoon, ladies and gentleman. welcome to this great city and this great hall and this most important debate. this is a very important time for the commission on presidential debates. this is our 25th anniversary. it was in 1987 when we form the commission on presidential debates. tonight is the 23rd debate in the general debates. it is a very impo